Never Let Go
by XxFern-Rydel-RosexX
Summary: What if Jack didn't die? What if both he and Rose survived and got picked up by the one boat that came back? What happens when they are safe? What happens in America? RoseXJack Centric along with family drama!
1. Prologue

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Titanic. I love Jack and Rose though.**

**Summary: **

**What if Jack didn't die? What if both he and Rose survived and got picked up by the one boat that came back? What happens when they are safe? What happens in America?**

**OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO OOOOOOOOOO**

**Prologue**

Never let go. That's what he said, so I didn't. I held his hand the whole time; as we waited; as we grew colder and more likely to die. I held his hand as I swam frantically to the whistle out of the man's whistle to signal that we were alive. I held his hand as we were pulled into the one boat, the one that came back. I held his hand as we sat wrapped in blankets, waiting for morning. And as morning came and we were boarded on another ship, I held his hand as hard as I did as we went into the water – maybe even harder. Jack returned the favour.


	2. Chapter 1 - I Was Free

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Titanic. **

**Summary: **

**What if Jack didn't die? What if both he and Rose survived and got picked up by the one boat that came back? What happens when they are safe? What happens in America?**

**OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO**

**Chapter 1**

We sat on the boat that had been the best thing to happen to us in the whole of our lives, apart from each other of course. The _Carpathia_, it was called. I pulled myself into Jack and wrapped our blanket around us as much as I could; I was still wearing Cal's jacket but it was still sodden. I turned my head to look around at all the people who had survived. Seven hundred, twenty life boats capable of carrying one thousand two hundred people almost and seven hundred were saved. I knew there wasn't even enough for half the passengers to be put into life boats. I can't believe over one thousand people died, and I survived after going down to the bottom decks to save Jack, which were almost full of water and got out of that let alone up to the top decks and being on top as the whole boat sank before waiting and getting hypothermia until _one_ boat came to search and they almost didn't find us.

"Rose? ROSE?" I snapped out of my daze and turned to a frantic looking Jack Dawson.

"Yes?" I asked.

"I have been calling you for at least five minutes! I was worried, what got you so out of it?" he replied, his voice laced with concern.

"I was thinking about how we managed to survive after our whole ordeal and that only seven hundred of over two thousand passengers lived overall, all the people that died…" I trailed off as I began to cry. The next moment I was pulled into warm arms and a hand was stroking my hair.

"I know Rose, I can't believe it happened either, let it all out" he murmured into my hair, so the next few minutes were spent sobbing into Jack's shoulder. I pulled away and looked up at him.

"Sorry, I got your shirt soaked." I apologised but Jack shook his head and sighed.

"It's fine Rose, but what's most important to me is that you're safe." I smile lightly and kiss him. When we pull away he looks over my shoulder and tenses, before pulling the blanket over our heads and turning me into him. I open my mouth to ask him what's wrong but he just puts a finger up, looking in the same place. I quickly look over before he can stop me, but immediately bring my head back around.

"Pull the blanket away." I told him and he looked down at me in disbelief.

"Rose, you want them to see you?" Jack replied and I sighed.

"No, but I have to get it over with, make sure they know they don't rule my life anymore Jack, because I do. And I'm saying my life is you." He takes a deep breath and we let our cover fall from our heads and I hear a very loud gasp and a shout – my name.

"ROSE!" I close my eyes and wait for her to reach us before facing her – the woman I called my mother. She pulled me into an embrace and I wanted nothing except to push her off me. So I did. Her face was a mixture of anger and hurt, "We thought you were dead, we didn't know why you left – Cal was extremely worried!" I snorted and she looked at me like I had been the one to sink the _Titanic_.

"I really doubt he was, after what he did to me." I retorted, glaring at the man whom I was once engaged to.

"And what was that?" she asked.

"Calling me a whore; slapping me; touching me when I didn't want him to." I leant into Jack as I said this and I heard his breathing hitch and a growl erupt from his throat.

"You did what?" he asked Cal in a calm, deadly voice.

"I did no such thing! Ruth, she's making it up! She was the one who spat in my face!" he leant forward and whispered to me, "So you really are going to be that gutter rat's whore?"

"I meant what I said _Cal,_" I said his name with hate and stepped forward, "I'd rather be his whore than your wife." And with that, I turned and pulled Jack behind me, my destination - as far away from them as I could get on this ship. We found a small space and sat down in silence. No words were said. I knew Jack wanted to go back and rip Cal's head off his shoulders, but I couldn't let him, it wasn't the way to go about it. My mother was just as naïve as I was before I met Jack, she believed everything Cal told her. As far as I was concerned, she wasn't my mother anymore.

"Rose, I promise you, they are never going to hurt you again. We'll start our new life in America, just us; together. We can move to California, or Texas, anywhere you want! We can find a house and settle down – have our own little family." I smiled at his attempt to cheer me up, he always knew what to say. Now I really could imagine that, a small cottage; perhaps by the beach – a ring on my finger, Jack by my side; little blonde and red haired children playing in the sand.

"California." I reply, looking into my love's eyes.

"Huh?" he asked, confused and I laughed.

"I'd like to live in California."

"Well, Cali it is!" He chuckled and pulled me closer to him.

"God Almighty!" I spun around at the sound of the distinct American accent I had come used to hearing. Molly, Maggie, Margaret, Mrs Brown – whatever she was called; the plump woman was still dressed in her finery, large hat on her head, not a single hair out of place. She ran – more like waddled as her clothes were still a bit damp from when water had splashed into her boat most likely – towards us and I glanced at Jack, this was one of the people he was happy about seeing. Which reminded me – Cora, what happened to Cora? I shook my head and smiled at Mrs Brown for now. I stood and hugged her, which was when I realised I was still holding Jack's hand, I actually hadn't let go at all – I still couldn't bring myself to, so I pulled him into the hug as well, "You two made it! I'm so happy, I was so worried, I tried to make them turn the boat back – but they just wouldn't!" she exclaimed and I hugged her tighter.

"It's okay Mrs Brown, we're okay, you're okay, that's all that matters right now. Wait, Cora!" Jack's expression became alarmed as he thought of the girl he had come so close to.

"Mrs Brown, do you know if Cora is here?" I asked her.

"No, but we should try and find her, I'll go left, you two go right – she must be here, they loaded children first."

"But she's third class, I didn't see her go out the gate with the others!" I exclaimed and grew very alarmed.

Panic settled over us and we split up and looked all over the deck where we knew all the survivors had been taken to. We called Cora's name, described her to people and scoured the place all over but we came up with nothing, we were just about to give up when a man – probably part of the _Carpathia_'s crew came up to us.

"Your name sir?" he asked Jack.

"Jack Dawson." He replied as I looked around still.

"Miss?" I snapped my head to the man and looked at him, "Your name?"

"Rose Dawson." I replied without thinking and then realising, I blushed and sneaked a look at Jack, only to find him smiling down at me. As the man was walking away I had an idea, "Sir!" I called and he walked back over, "Sorry, but is there a record of a Cora Cartmell?"

"Cora Cartmell you say? A young girl?" He asks, and Jack's face lights up.

"Yes! Exactly, brown curly hair, is she here?" Jack asks him and the man nods.

"In the infirmary, case of Hypothermia and Pneumonia, but recovering well, I can take you to her, if you like?"

"If you could sir, we would be grateful." I replied to him, squeezing Jack's hand and picking up my dress so I could walk at the crewman's quick pace.

We entered the infirmary and were immediately surrounded by the feeling of sickness. All the people in here were people who had been on the _Titanic_. We looked around hopelessly when the kind man had left us and a nurse came up to us.

"Hello?"

"Hello, we're here to see Cora, Cora Cartmell." Jack asked and I could see he just wanted to see her and make sure she would survive.

"Relation." The nurse stated.

"Jack and Rose Dawson – her Aunt and Uncle." Jack told her. She nodded and led us through to the back where a single bed was behind a curtain, holding Cora, chatting to another nurse about how she had no one but Uncle Jack now and didn't even know if he was alive and I smiled as he looked up and her eyes widen with joy.

"UNCLE JACK!" she shouted and Jack ran over to her, releasing my hand for the first time since we had been in the water and I kind of felt empty, but then I saw him with Cora and my heart felt warm again. He was so good with her.

"How's my best girl? You okay?" he enquired, fussing over her.

"I'm fine, nurse said I'll be out by the time we dock in New York," the little girl glanced over at me, "You saved him? I saw him get arrested. Thank you Rosie." She told me and I walked over to her, grabbing one of her hands in mine.

"Well, I couldn't leave him could I? I need him too much, seems like you do too. He was almost crying when we couldn't find you on the deck." I whispered loudly to her and she giggled.

"Really Uncle Jack?" he only nodded and kissed her on the forehead, "That's nice, so are you two going to get married now?" she smiled brightly.

"If Rose will have me?" he said and I looked at him.

"Nothing on Earth could come between me and you, that has already been proved." I gave him a small smile and grasped his hand before leaning over to the side of the bed he was on and kissing him lightly.

"Ew, you are worse than Mummy and Dad-" tears spilled out of Cora's eyes and we both pulled her into a hug.

"We are so sorry Cora, but you know they loved you and are looking down on you from Heaven right now." Jack whispered in her ear.

"How do you know?" she sniffed as he wiped her eyes.

"Because God always takes the good to Heaven," I tell her, "and your parents were two of the most good people I have ever met – even if I only did meet them fleetingly. No one deserves to go through what happened to them and the others last night."

"So everyone who died will go to Heaven?"

"Yes." I say, "Everyone you knew who had the bad fortune yesterday, will be up there now and listening to us, wanting you to smile because it wasn't our fault they are there."

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

We spent some time with Cora and left – albeit reluctantly – to go and find Mrs Brown again. We caught up with her talking to a crew member about how long it would be until we were in New York. She said she could tell many of the _Titanic_ 'survivors' seemed very uneasy about being on another boat, after what happened last time and I could not help but agree with her. I wasn't exactly happy about being on the water still either. The fact there was not much room on the boat didn't help with the cold as people's clothes had yet to dry and they needed to be warmed up.

"Should be there by tomorrow, love. In the mornin' most likely." I smiled and thanked the man as we walked away to find a place to sleep. They had given the people who had the worst cases the last rooms on the ship and even though Jack had severe Hypothermia after being in the water, I had used everything I could in the small boat to get him and the other five warmer since I had been on the door, I wasn't as cold. So Jack recovered quickly and we didn't have a place to stay for the night. Finding some spare blankets, we went back to see Cora and sat by her as she slept, before drifting off ourselves. I laid on Jack's lap, my head on his shoulder and his arms around my waist…

_I ran across the deck, running to Jack, I couldn't let him die. Suddenly, a hand grabs my arm and I'm spun around to face Cal._

"_Where are you going?" he demands as I struggle to get away, "To him? To be a whore to a filthy gutter rat?"_

_I look him dead in the eye as I speak, "I'd rather be his whore, than you're wife!" I exclaim and attempt to run but he grabs my arm again._

"_NO! I said no!" I gather up my courage and spit at him, right in the eye and the second he lets go of me, I continue running to Jack. Bad thing was, I didn't know where to find him…_

I woke with a start as I heard a loud horn, I looked around as I recognized my surroundings. I was still in the infirmary and Cora had also woken up from the noise.

"Good morning, Cora." I said and she smiled at me.

"Hello Rosie. I think that was the horn saying we are nearing land. I used to hear it all the time when I lived by the docks."

I nodded and turned around to Jack, who was surprisingly still asleep. I brushed the hair away from his eyes and shook his shoulder lightly, "Jack, Jack wake up."

His head lifted and he yawned, "Mornin' already?"

"We think we might be near New York, Uncle Jack. A horn woke both of us up." Cora states.

"Well then, Rose and I better go and see if we can get you out of here." I stood and pulled him up with me, and realising my hands were cold I shoved them in the pockets of Cal's jacket, which I didn't know why I still had on. As my fingers went in I felt both my hands grasp around something. Knowing what it was I gasped and Jack and Cora turned to me. I pulled the objects out and looked at them.

"Cal knows what to take when a ship is sinking!" I exclaim. There were thousands of pounds in the pockets of the jacket and as my hands closed around the other object, I felt trapped again. I held up the necklace and Jack's eyes widened.

"He really does, we won't have to worry about money for a while, will we know?" he took some of the money and put it in his pockets as I returned the rest to mine. I turn to Cora and look at the necklace in my hands.

"Here Cora, why don't you keep this safe for me? When we get off, we can make it into a smaller necklace, and maybe some hair pins for you." I place the 'Heart of the Ocean' into the little girls hand and she grins widely at me.

"I won't let it out my sight." She replied.

Jack and I walked off to find the nurse who had been in charge. Once we found her we asked whether or not Cora could be taken out of the infirmary yet. When the woman replied she could, we raced back to Cora and got everything she had – coat and shoes were really the only possessions she had other than the clothes on her back – before bringing her up onto the deck to meet Mrs Brown properly. Jack held Cora on his hip and we walked hand in hand through the crowds of people. Obviously most of them were first class as they had been sorted first, something I am completely disgusted at. I saw those bodies in the water as they picked us out of it, I saw the newborn babies and the toddlers and their mothers. I saw a pregnant woman, all of them third class. I think I even saw Cora's parents and Helga. Tears sprung to my eyes as I thought of this. Jack heard my sobs and turned to me, kissing my head – knowing what I was thinking about; he was probably thinking the same. We searched for Molly and found her helping a couple with a blanket and giving them a cup each. She turned and saw us, walking over.

"Is this Cora?" she asked me and I nodded, "Well hello, Jack was worried about you – I'm glad you are okay."

"Thank you Mrs Brown." Cora replied and the older woman shook her head.

"Call me Molly dear, and that goes for you two as well." I giggled at the stern look on her face but agreed anyway, "So have you any idea where you want to go?" Molly asked as we walked around the deck while Jack and Cora sat together.

"California." I stated.

"Why there exactly?"

"Jack was talking to me earlier, saying how we could move to California, Texas; anywhere I wanted, together. We'd get a house, settle down and have our own family. And I could imagine that. I envisioned a little cottage by the beach, a ring on my finger, Jack by my side and little blonde and redheaded children playing in the sand. I immediately wanted California." As I explained I saw Molly's face hold something like recognition.

"I have an old country home there! By the beach as well! Oh you would love it Rose, not in the city but not isolated either and Cora could play and there are plenty of places Jack could work! You too. Take it Rose." I stared in disbelief, did I hear right?

"Molly, we couldn't pos-"

"Oh yes you could and you will." She interrupted and I knew I wasn't going to win.

"Fine," I sighed, "but we are paying rent every month and you don't give us anything else, you hear!"

"Of course Honey. Now it's already stocked with everything you would need, there are some of Cathorine's old clothes that Cora can wear, some of my old dresses and things. You will be amazed!" I felt warmth coming from Molly and I realised that this was the mother-figure I had always wanted.

"Well we must tell Jack and Cora!" I grabbed hold of the end of my dress and began to jog slightly through the crowd until I came to Jack and Cora. I peered over and saw that Jack was holding something, it was leather and contained – his portfolio! As I reached them I wrapped my arms around his waist and leant my head on his shoulder.

"Hey, Cora gave me my portfolio. She found it as she was waiting for the boats and wanted to get it to me." I smiled and hugged Cora, he continued, "It's a little bit damp a are some of the drawings, but they'll be fine. So what did you two talk about?"

"We have a place to live! Mrs Brown-"

"Molly." She interrupted

"Molly, has a cottage by the sea in California – I told her we couldn't take it, but she insisted. It even has all the furniture and utensils we'll need! It's going to be perfect."

He looked at me and grinned before pulling Cora and I into a hug, "It will be perfect."

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The boat docked at ten the same day. We were the first to be taken off as we had Molly – who was very persuasive – and Cora, who had one of the worst cases on the ship; God bless her soul. We were immediately hounded by reporters asking us our names, how we felt etc. Jack held Cora on his hip and had his arm around my waist as I held Molly's hand. We just passed them to where cars were placed to help take the survivors where they wanted to go. Molly led us to a car and told the man the address before using some paper from Jack's portfolio to write it down for us along with her address. We placed Cora and our things in the car and said goodbye to Molly.

"Now you write whenever you want. Jack, use your talent, there has to be a job for you – you as well Rose. I'll miss you." A tear slid down my face as we told her farewell and I brought the woman into one last hug. Looking over her shoulder I saw my mother standing, jaw slack, staring at me and Cal next to her – looking livid. I really sympathised my Mother for a second – but only a second. I looked into her eyes and nodded, letting her know I did not loathe her for all she'd done – but I didn't love her either. Stepping into the car, Jack pulled me into him as tears fell down my face; some sad for all the lives that wouldn't be able to come back and have a family like us but some happy – I was free.


End file.
